Tunnel Worm

This massive creature appears to be a 30-foot long sleek black centipede with a long segmented body and many slender legs. Its huge mandibles are serrated and razor-sharp, and its eyes are multi-faceted. A ring of chitinous bone protects its oversized head.

The favored tactic of the tunnel worm is to lurk beneath the surface of the ground or behind a wall until it senses a creature moving by, whereupon it burrows out to surprise and attack its prey (treat this attack as a charge attack). A tunnel worm that has taken more than half its hit points in damage retreats to its lair unless it is cornered, in which case it fights to the death.

Rend Armor (Ex)

If a tunnel worm grapples an opponent wearing armor, it attempts to chew away the armor with its powerful mandibles. With a successful grapple check it deals double its regular bite damage to the opponent’s armor. Creatures not wearing armor are unaffected by this special attack. Armor reduced to 0 hit points is destroyed.

The tunnel worm is a burrowing creature related to the monstrous centipede. It is a very aggressive predator and hunter, though it can sustain itself by scavenging. Its preferred food is fresh, raw meat. Tunnel worms are very aggressive and attack anything that enters their territory.

Tunnel worms live in maze-like complexes of burrows connected by passages they have chewed out over time; these burrows are often filled with the rotting remains of past prey, used by the worm to incubate its offspring.

A typical tunnel worm is 30 feet long, but can grow to a length of 60 feet.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tunnel Worm from the Tome of Horrors Complete, Copyright 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.